Progressive rock does not get enough credit for its impact on heavy metal. Back in the ’70s, the two musical pariahs constantly overlapped. This resulted in bands like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath embarking upon ambitious suites (i.e. “Child in Time”, “Megalomania”, etc.). In turns, progfathers like Yes and Genesis would beef up their guitars and dip their toes into the early metallic pool (i.e. “South Side of the Sky”, “The Return of the Giant Hogweed”, etc.). In the middle of it all were bands like Uriah Heep and John Wetton era King Crimson, who towed the line between both genres, before Rush fully spawned the subgenre we know today as progressive metal in the mid ’70s.
By now you’re probably wondering, “Joe, what the hell does this have to do with today’s review?” Well, my friend, in this album reviewing business of ours, sometimes we’re subjected to a record that makes us exclaim, “Oh my prog!” In today’s case, it’s Vertumnus Caesar, the long awaited fourth studio album from Slovakian black metal trailblazers, Malokarpatan. This band first appeared on my radar a few years ago, upon the release of their last album, Krupinské ohne. A dramatic concept album based on the life and death of a Slovakian coven, its equally dramatic musical hybrid of black metal, thrash metal, classic prog, and eastern folk captivated me beyond belief.
On their latest album, Vertumnus Caesar, Malokarpatan strikes again, this time pushing the prog dial to overload and testing the limits of narrowminded elitists. The brand of black metal Malokarpatan specializes in lies somewhere between the genre’s first and second wave, channeling the traditionally inclined maneuvers of fellow eastern euro devils Root and Master’s Hammer. After a Moody Blues-esque mellotron intro in “Na okraji priepaste otevíra sa hviezdny zámek”, we’re treated to this wicked brew of cryptic metal on cuts like “Kočár postupuje temnomodrými dálavami na juhozápad” and the title track. Meanwhile, the “Maharal a Golem”, throws a bone to the thrashers, revving up the speed with the same ferocity as early Sodom.
Even as the “conventional” moments on Vertumnus Caesar, these aforementioned cuts are truly unique among today’s largely predictably pedestrian black metal landscape, so you could only imagine the depth the retro blackened prog outliers provide. Ambitious suites like the closing “I hle, tak zachádza imperiálna hviezda” and instrumental “Panstvo salamandrov jest v kavernách zeme” recall the arcane mysticism of Gabriel era Genesis at their darkest, channeling the same spirit that would captivate a young King Diamond and help bring Mercyful Fate to fruition. And then there’s my choice cut, “Vovnútri chlácholivého útočišta kunstkamru”, which against all odds boasts a blackened spin on Mk. II Deep Purple. Yes, you read that correctly. Wild riffs, grooving drums, and driving organ gone black metal: You have to hear it to believe it.
Malokarpatan has reached new creative heights with Vertumnus Caesar. While Krupinské ohne is a modern day autumnal metal masterpiece, Vertumnus Caesar showcases a whole new side of this multiheaded beast. No matter what the sonic approach or overarching aesthetic, their knack for pushing boundaries and crafting unforgettable music is a sight (and sound) to behold, following in the same bold tradition as the metal and prog pioneers of the ’70s. There’s no doubt in my mind that if Caesar himself heard this album, he’d be so taken aback that he’d only be able to utter what was ultimately his last word, “Fuck!” (Don’t believe the “Et tu, Brute?” myth).
10 out of 10
Label: Invictus Productions
Genre: Black/Heavy Metal
For fans of: Master’s Hammer, Root, Tormentor